


The Difference Love Makes

by unmotivatedmillennial



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 02:35:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29482305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unmotivatedmillennial/pseuds/unmotivatedmillennial
Summary: After a long, hard journey mastering the elements, Aang finally feels ready to confront the Fire Lord and fulfill his destiny to restore balance to the world. All that’s left now is to rest and wait. So why has Zuko pulled him out to the middle of nowhere to practice forms and run drills? Does the Fire Nation prince really have so little faith in his ability? Or is there a deeper fear fueling his friend’s misgivings?
Relationships: Aang/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 59





	The Difference Love Makes

The gaang is staying at Zuko's family beach house on Ember Island as they wait out the days until the return of Sozin's comet. After weeks of hard work and preparation, everyone is feeling confident about their chances of stopping the Fire Nation's final invasion and defeating the Fire Lord. That is, almost everyone. While the others spend the day recouping, enjoying tropical drinks in the shade, Zuko has dragged Aang out to the wilds of the island and is putting him through his paces in their most exhaustive training session to date.

The earth in the clearing where they stood was riddled with scorch marks. On the lush island, it had taken them a while to find an area without too much plant life where they could train. Aang was adamant about avoiding places where they would unnecessarily damage living things with their bending. Since Zuko was equally adamant that the beach, within earshot of their boisterous friends held too many distractions, they had ended up nearly an hour's walk from the expansive vacation home owned by the Fire Nation prince's family where they were staying. 

Zuko knew he was being excessive. He was surprised that Aang hadn't mutinied when he insisted they spend the entire day training while the others enjoyed their well deserved slacking off, but he just couldn't manage to calm his anxieties about Aang's showdown with his father. Still, the sun had begun to set and Zuko was realizing that he had guided Aang through literally all of the training exercises he knew. Completely out of excuses to continue, he had no choice but to relent and declare Aang's fire-bending training officially completed.

Aang dropped to his knees when Zuko called him over and told him they were finally finished.

"Thank goodness," the airbender said breathlessly as he gingerly eased his body down to lie on the ground.

"You should be proud of yourself. You looked good out there," Zuko said, encouragingly as he sat down cross-legged next to his pupil. "Don't get too comfortable, though. You still need to stretch."

Aang pouted.

"But, I can't move," the Avatar whined.

"Don't exaggerate," Zuko scolded, rolling his eyes.

Aang widened his already enormous gray eyes, pretending to look offended at the accusation.

"I'm not. See?"

He made an exaggerated straining sound as he pretended to try and lift himself up, giving up halfway as if exhausted.

Zuko rolled his eyes and then glared at him, but the younger boy held his gaze with an innocent, pleading expression.

"Fine," Zuko groaned, giving in.

The older teen fixed his face into an annoyed expression, but inwardly he was amused. Leave it to Aang to work tirelessly without complaint for hours straight, only to break down in dramatics at being asked to stretch. Zuko got up from the ground, patting dirt from the seat of his pants.

"Can you at least stand up by yourself?" he asked Aang exasperatedly when the other boy didn't move.

"It's impossible, Zuko. You'll have to carry me back," the master of elements said piteously.  
Zuko put his hands on his hips and glared down at the thirteen-year-old.

"Aang, there is no way I'm carrying you all the way back to the beach," he said flatly.

The airbender's expression went from pleading to resigned and he adopted a martyred tone of voice.

"That's okay, Zuko," the younger boy said kindly. "In that case, you can just leave me here. I'll probably regain my strength by the morning. I can practice my breath of fire to keep warm. I'll just see you tomorrow, I guess."

Aang was being beyond ridiculous, but Zuko wondered if the same couldn't be said about him, keeping the kid out from sun up until sundown like this. He held back a smile as he noticed the thirteen-year-old watching him from the corner of his eye, trying to see if his antics were working.

"You're full completely full of it," Zuko said as he knelt down next to the airbender. "Well?" he prompted as he waited for Aang to realize he had lowered himself to carry the Avatar piggyback.

"Really?!" Aang asked excitedly before climbing aboard, completely abandoning his feeble act from earlier.

Zuko stood when he could feel that Aang was hanging on properly. He adjusted his grip under the younger boy's legs and set off in the direction they had come. The thirteen-year-old was heavier than he'd expected. It made sense though. Aang was much smaller than him but extremely strong. Zuko could feel the wiry muscles where he held him up, underneath his lower thighs and in Aang's arms which were wrapped around his shoulders.

The sun had long set and night was falling around them. Quiet sounds of insects and nocturnal animals met them from the nearby woods. Aang tightened the grip of his left hand on Zuko's shoulder and held out his right, bending a small flame. He held it aloft to light Zuko's quickly darkening path.

"Thanks," Zuko said appreciatively.

He could feel Aang nod in response even if he couldn't see him from behind.

"So are you feeling better about my fire-bending after today?" the younger boy asked, close to his ear.

The question caught Zuko by surprise. It shouldn't have. Of course the Avatar would wonder why he had been forced to continue his training when he had already proven that he was an excellent fire-bender.

"I never really had any complaints about your bending," Zuko answered truthfully. "I'm actually not sure there's any else I could possibly teach you. You didn't make a single mistake today."

Something in Zuko's tone stopped it from sounding like the compliment he'd meant it as.

"So, why'd you keep me out here so long?" the airbender asked, sounding doubtful.

"I'm sorry for working you so hard today, Aang," Zuko said, starting to feel ashamed. "The truth is I already knew it was unnecessary," the older teen admitted. "It's just, even after watching you execute every move perfectly, I couldn't help but feel terrified at the thought of you facing my father."

It wasn't something that Zuko had planned on admitting out loud. He hoped that his own anxieties wouldn't make the Avatar question all of his hard work and overwhelming ability. The silence that followed his response, though, wasn't a promising indication that they hadn't.

Zuko wanted to explain properly that his worries weren't based on anything that Aang was doing wrong. The fact was, physically, Aang was more than ready to face the Fire Lord. He was strong, fast, flexible and quick to adapt. The body that Zuko was currently lugging around like a peasant had been shaped by the Fire Nation prince's own unrelenting training, not to mention the excellent instruction the Avatar had received from Toph and Katara. There was absolutely nothing for Zuko to tie his fears to. So without knowing how to express them, he stayed quiet.

"Zuko, look!"

Aang's awed gasp at his ear interrupted his thoughts.

The younger boy was pointing out ahead of them and had extinguished his flame, but they no longer needed it.

The two of them had approached a meadow they had passed on their way from the beach that morning. Unlike the morning, though, it was now completely illuminated by lightning beetles.

The brilliant insects dotted the air and perched on the wildflowers that carpeted the meadow, making it seem as if there were not only stars overhead but also surrounding and below them.

"Wow," Aang whispered.

Zuko had to agree. He walked a few more steps into the meadow before unhooking his arms from behind Aang's knees, giving the airbender no choice but to drop lightly to his feet in the grass.

"We aren't even halfway back yet." Aang pointed out.

"I told you earlier I wasn't carrying you all that way," Zuko told him stubbornly.

"But my legs still hurt," Aang argued. "And you already admitted it was your fault for making me work so hard,"

The younger boy's accusing tone was whiny enough to reassure Zuko that he was kidding, but that didn't do anything to help the guilty feeling in the prince's stomach.

"I know," he agreed, tone much softer than before.

Noticing this, Aang looked up at him. The air nomad was clearly about to say something to let him know he wasn't actually angry, but Zuko interrupted him before he could.

"Hey, can you earthbend like a-"  
He cut off and pantomimed a flat surface with his hands. Then, keeping his palms flat, he lifted his hands to show the surface rising.

Aang watched him quizzically.

"So you want a-" the younger boy mimicked Zuko's hand movements.

"Yeah. This tall and about this big," Zuko added, indicating a height of about mid-thigh and then holding his hands almost his entire arm-span apart to show the desired length.

"O-kayy," Aang said, skeptically, before digging his heel into the ground and raising a platform that fit the description.

What looked like several glowing specs evacuated the now much taller patch of meadow leaving only a flower and grass-covered rectangle of earth roughly the size of a bed.

"Exactly," Zuko encouraged as he moved to be on Aang's other side and then pointed back to where he had been standing. "Now make one for me," he instructed.

Still extremely confused, Aang didn't take his eyes off of Zuko as he obeyed, digging in his heel and erecting another platform very nearby. There was another eviction of startled lightning beetles so that the air immediately surrounding them swarmed more thickly with them than anywhere else in the meadow.

"So, what? Do you just wanna... camp here?" Aang asked, trying to make sense of his usually somewhat predictable friend's behavior.

"Of course not," Zuko laughed. "We'll head back a little while."

He crossed Aang again before sitting on his new seat.

"You lie on your stomach there," Zuko said pointing to the platform he had meant for the airbender.

Aang resolved himself to the fact that the older boy's actions just weren't going to be making any sense that day. Still, there were worse places to rest. The Avatar did as he was told, folding his arms underneath him in front of his chest. He laid his head down on top of them and watched from the corner of his eye as Zuko scooted himself toward one end of his own patch of grass and knelt over him.

"What in the world are you doing now?"Aang asked, not bothering to turn his head.

"You said your legs hurt," Zuko answered simply.

He held Aang's left calf, wrapping both hands around it. He squeezed lightly at first and then increased the pressure, digging his thumbs in. Starting low, near Aang's ankle, he slowly made his way up to behind his knee and then back down again.

Aang was more than a little surprised. So much so that he couldn't think of anything to say. After a few seconds though, he sighed contently and decided that maybe it was better not to say anything and just enjoy his friend's rare charitable mood. The airbender nestled his head deeper into his folded arms and closed his eyes.

Zuko smiled and continued kneading the overworked muscles of Aang's calf. After about a minute, he switched to the Avatar's other leg.  
After addressing the tension in Aang's calves, he moved to work on his lower thighs. He pressed the same small circles with his thumbs until he felt the tightness leave the muscles there as well.

Admittedly, Aang had been overstating his fatigue. But, even so, his body was very tired and his legs had actually hurt.

"That's so much better," he said happily before starting to sit up. "Thanks, Zuko."

Zuko, who had moved to sit near the head of his patch of grass placed a hand on his shoulder and lightly pushed him back down before continuing the massage.

"Oh, man," Aang exhaled as Zuko rubbed his stiff shoulders. "You must be feeling really guilty," the younger boy speculated as he settled back into his patch of meadow.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," Zuko admitted, as he continued methodically working the stiffness from the other boy's muscles.

As his hands progressed lower down Aang's back, Zuko studied the deep scar on in the center of it. He often found his eyes gravitated toward it, but he had never been able to examine it up close before now.

The sight of the place where Azula had bent lightning at Aang, nearly ending the Avatar's life, always gave the banished prince a sinking feeling in his stomach. But now, touching the rough skin, so similar to the feel of his own scar, Zuko's guilt was suddenly overwhelming. If the Avatar had died that night, it would have been as much his fault as his sister's.

"I can't believe you let me touch you like this," he said quietly. "You didn't even give it a second thought."

"Sure. It's Sokka who's weird about this kind of stuff. Air nomads don't really have hang-ups about physical contact," Aang said trying to sound breezy.

If the airbender was honest though, he was a little embarrassed for reasons he couldn't quite pin down. Part of the reason he was holding his head in his arms was to hide the slight blush that he felt forming as satisfied sighs in reaction to the pressure of the older boy's hands had escaped his lips before he could stop them.

"That's not what I'm talking about."

Zuko shook his head even though the other boy wasn't looking. "I mean this. Here," he said as he traced the jagged scar with his finger.

"Oh," Aang said quietly.

"Yeah... oh. How is it that you can even trust me after everything my family has done to you? Everything, I've done...," Zuko trailed off, withdrawing his hands and averting his gaze, choosing instead to stare at the ground.

Aang raised himself to sit and look at him.

"I just you because I trust you, Zuko," the airbender said matter-of-factly. "I just do."

Somehow, instead of making him feel better, this answer only served to deepen Zuko's regret. The sullen prince ran a hand through his dark hair before draping his arms across his knees and burying his head in them.

The younger boy desperately wanted to comfort his friend. He knew that guilt about all of the times he had hurt Aang and the others, and especially about that night plagued Zuko constantly. This wasn't the first time he'd found the older boy fixating on his scars. But, how could he explain something that just felt automatic to him?

"Okay, it's like, I know we have the same goal, right? We both know the Fire Lord has to be defeated to restore peace."

Zuko didn't bother lifting his head to answer.  
"Sure, you know that now. But how could you have any faith of it at all when I first asked to join you? How could you just forget about all the times I've hurt you or gotten you hurt?" he asked grass, desperately.

Aang absently reached his arm behind him to touch the scarred flesh on his back.

"For one thing, forgiveness isn't about forgetting. I never got why people connect the two concepts," he said, contemplating. "Think about it, if you could just forget it whenever someone hurts you, there wouldn't be a need to forgive them in the first place. Forgiveness is about understanding that people make mistakes, and knowing that even when they do, they're still worth caring about," Aang placed his hand on the older boy's shoulder. "Zuko, you've more than earned my trust after all the sacrifices you've made to teach me fire-bending. But, that's not the point. I trust you because I want to. You're my friend."

Zuko finally lifted his head to look up at him.  
"Thank you, Aang," he said, obviously deeply moved. "I still don't understand how you can be so... you... about everything, but it really means a lot to me."

Zuko smiled gratefully at his friend.

"Maybe, it's a monk thing?" Aang said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head the way he did when he was feeling embarrassed. "I'm just glad you're feeling better."

"I am," Zuko said, sitting up properly. "I think I finally figured out what's had me so worried about you facing my father, too."

"You, did?" Aang asked curiously.

"Yeah," Zuko said gravely. "Aang, you're an amazing bender. I know that, physically, you have what it takes to stand against the Fire Lord. I guess, I'm just worried that having such a kind nature endangers you against an opponent like my father. Take me for an example. I mean, I know trusting me was the right decision, even if I'm still having a hard time forgiving myself. My place is by your side, helping you restore balance to the world. But just think about what could have happened if you were wrong about me, Aang. If I wanted, I could have killed you 50 different times just in the past 30 minutes. I think I'm so worried because it doesn't seem like you understand that it isn't a good decision to always be so merciful toward your enemies-"

"Zuko, you aren't my enemy," Aang interrupted.

"No, Aang, I'm not," Zuko agreed. "But the Fire Lord is. I know you've already decided that no matter what happens during your fight, you won't take his life. The thing is my father will be able to tell if you're holding back. He'll see your kindness and exploit it. As a friend who cares about you, and as a citizen of a world that needs you, I don't want to see you put yourself in unnecessary danger for the sake of someone like him."

Zuko breathed a heavy sigh at the relief of having expressed his fear. He watched his friend, waiting for a response, but Aang's face was dark and the younger boy didn't say anything immediately. It was obvious from his expression that the airbender was thinking deeply.

"So, you're saying you think I should kill him, too?" Aang asked after a long silence.

"I'm saying you should be open to the possibility that you'll have to," Zuko corrected him.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that," Aang said quietly after a while, looking away.

Zuko stared at him for a long time, anger and frustration obvious in his expression.

"So that's it?" he asked bitterly.

"I don't know what you want me to say," Aang said sadly, still avoiding his eye.

"I want you to tell me that you understand how important you are to the world... and to your friends, and that you'll protect yourself no matter what it takes," Zuko said fiercely, his usually intense stare was even more so as it reflected the light of the glowing specks that's surrounded them.

Aang turned and held his gaze as long as he could but soon looked away again.

"Zuko, you know it's not that simple," he pleaded. "Protecting my own life is one thing. Ending the life of someone else is an entirely different one."

"Not in a battle like this, it's not," Zuko said grimly.

"Well, that's not the way I was raised," Aang muttered as he started to get frustrated.

"It's exactly the way I was raised," Zuko replied quietly. "And the man who taught me is the man you're going to fight."

Aang's irritated expression softened, but he didn't say anything.

"Don't think he'll hesitate to kill you because you're a child or because you're the Avatar. My father isn't only cruel when he feels like he has to be. He truly enjoys it. You should have seen the look on his face when he burned me that day. It was like he'd been wanting to do it forever but finally had a good enough excuse."

There was a beat and then Aang's head whipped around and he stared at his friend, horrified.

"Zuko, you never told me the Fire Lord was the one who gave you your scar, he whispered.

"Oh, did I forget to mention it?" Zuko asked, feigning casual surprise. "Yeah, I complained about him using rookie soldiers as cannon fodder in a room full of his highest-ranking military officials so he demanded that I duel him. He didn't give a second thought to attacking me when I refused... I was your age. Honestly, I was a lot like you before it happened, overly optimistic, always kidding around. When my father banished me though... when I lost my home... it was like I lost that person completely. I felt worthless and empty because my father had showed me that I clearly wasn't worth anything to him. The only thought that gave me any hope was that if I could capture you and bring you back, I could prove that I could be useful to him and then maybe he would give me back what I lost."

Zuko looked far away when he finished speaking. The things he was telling Aang about how he'd felt back then weren't things he'd expressed to anyone, not even his uncle. He felt vulnerable and raw but he desperately wanted Aang to understand what his father was capable of. The younger boy's hand on his shoulder brought him back to reality.

"I had no idea. I'm so sorry, Zuko," Aang said sadly.

"I'm not," the Fire Nation prince said plainly. "If my father hadn't banished me for embarrassing him, I never would have found my true path."

Zuko absently touched the scar on his face before he continued. "It's a small price to pay."

Aang nodded slowly as if he could understand what Zuko meant by that, his hand still resting on his friend's shoulder.

"Thank you for telling me," he said quietly after a while. "I thought I was already as angry at the Fire Lord as it was possible for me to be..."  
Zuko placed his own hand on top of Aang's on his shoulder as the younger boy continued.  
"I wish I could say that as the Avatar, even with everything I know about how the Fire Lord terrorized the other nations, destroyed balance in the world and hurt countless people, including you, his own son, that I could see a reason to forgive him. But I can't."

Zuko squeezed the hand under his sympathetically.

"I'm sorry, Aang. I understand how you must be feeling right now. I know the monks taught you a certain way, but I'm honestly just happy you get it now."

Aang gave Zuko a look of regret and pulled his hand away. He knew that the older boy's conviction was as strong as it was out of a desire to protect him.

"Zuko, I do get it. The world would be a better place without the Fire Lord in it, and I don't think he deserves to be spared. But, I'm still not going to kill him."

"Aang, please-"Zuko started but the airbender interrupted him

"I need you to just listen to me," he said firmly. "You asked me how I could trust you and I thought the answer I gave you was honest, but now I know the truth is I trusted you because I had to. If I had turned you away, I would never be able to fulfill my duty as the Avatar. Beyond that, I would have missed out on one of the best friends I'll ever have. I can't do this without you, Zuko, so yeah, I didn't really have a choice. And of course part of wants to make Ozai pay for everything that he's done. I don't want to it admit this, but I don't think it's fair that I have to put my life at risk to spare his. But, if I let him change me into someone who acts out of vengeance and fear, then he wins. When I say I have to spare his life, you have to understand it's for my sake not for his. It's because I know that even if I defeat the Fire Lord, I can't restore peace and balance to the world through an act of violence and I can't restore them if I don't have peace within myself. I have to be able to choose mercy and love no matter what because otherwise I'll fail, and I can't fail the world again."

Zuko considered the Avatar's words. It had never occurred to him that the death of his father could prevent the restoration of balance to the world. He thought of the Fire Nation. Could his people accept his claim to rule if he followed his father's legacy of violence, sending the Avatar to murder the current Fire Lord and then seizing power in the ensuing confusion? Zuko knew it was his destiny to restore the honor of his nation by leading his people back to the path of light. Could he possibly do that without their trust? And could the world really achieve balance with the Fire Nation in chaos? 

The answer was no. With it Zuko realized what Aang had always known, for the Avatar to kill the Fire Lord or to be killed by him, both of these outcomes spelled disaster for the world.  
And now Zuko knew something else, something that the Fire Lord didn't but would soon learn. Aang was stronger than either had them had guessed. He was strong because he had learned to love not just as a virtue, but as a tool for survival. How else could a thirteen-year-old kid who had lost his entire culture, almost everything and everyone he'd ever loved find the will to go on, to fight a war he'd had no idea he'd been about to inherit. 

Without even trying Aang had disproved the last worthless lesson of Ozai's that Zuko hadn't even realized he'd been holding on to. It was the idea that there could ever be such a thing as useful hate, that hate could serve as a tool and somehow not taint all that it created.

"You're right," Zuko said finally. "I thought I was ready to rebuild the trust the world has lost in the Fire Nation thanks to my father and grandfather and to help restore my people's honor. There's no way to do that without understanding that the only way gain or create anything worth having is to do it with love. I'm sorry for doubting you, Aang. Sparing my father... it really is the right decision."

Zuko breathed out an extremely long sigh. He laid back in the grass and covered his face with his arm. His shoulders heaved slightly as he began to weep.

Aang was stunned into momentary silence.

"Zuko, are you okay?" he asked timidly, squeezing his friend's forearm.

Zuko didn't say anything at first, but after a while he started to wipe the tears and sat back up. 

The airbender could see that his face was still damp and tears clung to his eyelashes, but his expression was relieved and he was grinning a broader, more genuine grin than the younger boy had ever seen him wear. The effect on the usually sullen prince's face was transformative and the younger boy could feel a blush creep across his own cheeks.

"I'm actually really good, Aang," the dark haired boy said, sounding unburdened. "Thank you. Thank you for forgiving me. Thank you for trusting me. I want you to know I trust you, too. I know that you can defeat the Fire Lord, and you can do it without letting your purpose be clouded by hate or fear."

Zuko smiled again.

Aang grinned back, still flushing a little. The way Zuko's words were affecting him took him by surprise. He was so used to being told he was misguided in his hope of sparing the Fire Lord. Sokka and Toph had both made it clear that they thought he was being foolish. And although Katara had never said so, he knew she secretly agreed. It was tiring defending himself all the time to the people he cared about most and he'd been grappling with a lot of self-doubts. Was he shying away from his destiny and putting the world at risk? Was he selfishly putting his ideals over his obligation to everyone else. Having Zuko, of all people, say that be understood, that he believed in Aang and the stand he was taking, it gave Aang a feeling of finally being on solid ground after not realizing he'd been adrift. 

Without noticing he'd begun to cry as well and the smile on Zuko's face was replaced by a look of horror. He grabbed the Avatar's shoulders.

"Aang, I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to upset you," he said frantically. "I really meant what I said. I'm so sorry if it sounded sarcastic."

Aang wiped his tears with the palms of his hands, but they just kept coming.

"I know," he said. "I know you meant it, I'm just relieved," he sniffed. "Thank you for trusting me, too, Zuko. It means more than I can tell you."

Zuko began to realize how much the Avatar had suffered as he pursued his ideals. To chose a path and know it was the right one, but have even your closest friends doubt and discourage you, he must have felt very lonely. 

Zuko moved to sit next to Aang on his patch of grass, wrapping his arms around the younger boy's shoulders and pulling him into a hug. He held him that way, giving him time for the tears to pass. When the sniffling stopped Zuko took Aang's shoulders again and held him at arm's length, looking into his eyes.

"From now on, I've got your back, okay?" he said with a reassuring smile.

Aang nodded and the tears began to flow again. Zuko pulled him into another hug, squeezing him tightly.

"You know, you should really smile like that more," the airbender hiccuped into his chest. Zuko blushed a bit and loosened the embrace without fully letting go.

"I guess I don't smile very often, do I?" the prince observed awkwardly.

"No, not really," the airbender replied through the tears.

After a pause, Aang started chuckling and soon Zuko did too. Before long it devolved into outright laughter and they disentangled themselves because they both needed their arms to support their balance in their fit of hysterics.

It was a long time before either of them was able to regain their composure. When they were finally able to sit upright without wheezing, Aang turned to Zuko, beaming.

"I'm really glad you found us," he said. "I don't mean because I needed a teacher. I'm just really glad you're here."

The airbender turned away when he realized he was blushing again.

"Aang?" Zuko questioned quietly.

"Yeah?" he answered after a pause.

When Zuko didn't say anything, Aang turned to look at him just in time to see the older boy's face leaning in toward his.

Aang's eyes widened and his body stiffened in shock, but the first bit of warmth and pressure from Zuko's lips stirred something inside of him and almost instantly Aang began kissing him back.

For a moment Zuko leaned in further, kissing him more deeply, but suddenly he pulled away as if shocked by his own actions.  
The two boys stared at each other for a long time.

"I wasn't expecting you to do that," Aang said quietly.

"Honestly, I wasn't either," Zuko admitted.  
"So, what made you?" the younger boy questioned quietly.

"I guess I suddenly just realized that I really wanted to kiss you. And then before I could actually process the thought, I was already doing it," Zuko gushed. "Are you angry?" he asked nervously.

"I'm not angry," Aang said softly. "I mean, I was really surprised at first," he mused. "But, I think I get what you mean. It was like I was already kissing you back before I even thought about it and then when you pulled away I was pretty disappointed."

The older boy ran a hand through his hair anxiously.

"I, um..., Aang started awkwardly before trailing off.

"Yeah," Zuko agreed.

They looked out at the meadow for a while, pretending to watch the beautiful lights before their gaze inevitably found one another's again.

"Hey, Zuko," the younger boy whispered.

"Mmhmm?"

His answer was barely audible.

Aang took bunches of the older boy's shirt in his hands before leaning up to kiss him.

This time Zuko wrapped his arms around the airbender's waist and it occurred to Aang that his heart was beating more wildly than it had during an entire day of training. He felt a thrill run through his whole body as Zuko pulled him closer, and began kissing him harder. He was starting to feel dizzy. Aang couldn't help sighing against Zuko's lips. He felt the older boy shiver before he pulled away again.

Aang watched him intently, trying to keep the disappointment from his face. The feeling of kissing Zuko was overwhelming, but that didn't mean he wanted to stop. Zuko gave him a knowing look. He took Aang's hand and held it up to his own heart, which, to the airbender's surprise, was beating just as quickly as his was.

"I think, I need to catch my breath," the older boy said, grinning sheepishly, still pressing Aang's hand against his chest.

He looked so handsome that the younger boy's own chest caught and it occurred to Aang that maybe taking a breath was a good idea.

Zuko pulled away the fist that was still clutching the fabric of his shirt and pressed it to his lips.

"Actually, it's gotten pretty late. We should probably head back," he said in between kissing each knuckle individually, not sounding entirely convinced himself.

In it's current state, Aang's brain wasn't up to formulating a response so he only watched as Zuko used his thumb to gently pry open the fist the airbender hadn't realized he'd been clenching and gently pressed kisses against his palm. Aang's heartbeat elevated from wild to hummingbee wings.

It was as if his body had somehow forgotten that the person in front of him was the good friend that he'd spent countless hours training, traveling, and goofing off with. Suddenly, all he could see was a devastatingly handsome older boy with burning eyes that were staring into his, extremely soft lips that sent shivers as they brushed his skin and long slender fingers that were entwining with his as the Fire Nation prince held his out Aang's arm and began planting kisses along the inside of his wrist.

"You're probably pretty hungry, right?" Zuko said against Aang's forearm.

The young teen managed to shake his head 'no,' which was miraculously true. Maybe he had been hungry thirty minutes ago, but somewhere between then and now he'd swallowed an entire flock of butterflies.

"Aang, help me out," Zuko said without raising his lips from the other boy's arm. "I'm trying to, but I don't think I can stop."

The air nomad's increasingly cloudy brain couldn't work out the issue with this.

"Then, stop trying," he whispered before he could register his words.

Zuko made a strangled sound halfway between a sigh and a growl before abruptly pulling Aang into another kiss.

The airbender wrapped an arm around Zuko's neck and reach up the other hand to touch the older boy's face. Softly, his thumb brushed the scarred skin there as he fell back into the woozy feeling that the pressure of Zuko's lips gave him.

Just as Aang was starting to think how lucky it was that the Fire Nation prince had waited until after his training had concluded to kiss him (otherwise he would never have been able to muster the focus to master the element) he felt his teacher slowly shake his head into the kiss before pulling away from Aang for a third time.

"Alright," he said, still holding Aang at the waist to steady himself. "I'm going to take you back now so that Sokka can feed you and so Katara can give you a healing session and so I can stick my head in the world's coldest bucket of water."

"Okay," Aang nodded obediently, even if he wasn't sure what was so great about food or healing.

Zuko stood up pulling the younger boy with him.

"Want a ride?" the older teen said playfully as they untangled their limbs from one another and straightened their clothes.

Aang thought back to the feeling of Zuko's rough hands underneath his thighs, the smell of the other boy's hair and the feeling of his muscular back against Aang's chest. He could feel his pulse racing again. He used the movement to distract himself as he dug his heel into the earth, returning the platforms to lay level with the of the meadow.

"I think I better walk to clear my head," he said reluctantly. "Maybe you could let me borrow that bucket when you're done with it," he joked.

Zuko laughed as they set off.

"It's all yours. I wouldn't have minded the excuse to hold you for a it longer, though," he said still chuckling to himself.

Aang blushed for the hundredth time that night as he followed after the taller boy. It wasn't as if the Fire Nation prince looked any different. The airbender would have had to be blind not to notice the color of his eyes or the fullness of his lips or the broadness of his hands before now. He's always been handsome, Aang thought. So why did just knowing how intensely the older boy could gaze at him with those eyes, and just how unreasonably soft his lips really were, and that a single touch from his hands could electrify Aang's entire body change so much? Dealing with the smiling boy who might casually decide to lean over and wipe every thought from the airbender's head was certainly a lot harder than dealing with plain old Zuko.

Once they had crossed the clearing, they stood looking back for a moment, surveying the beauty of the place where they'd learn to see each other in a new light.

In a burst of bravery, Aang reached over and slid his hand into Zuko's.

Zuko smiled at him as he squeezed it and interlaced their fingers.

"Maybe knowing that our destinies were already connected made it harder for me to realize the other reason I felt so pulled to you," he mused, pausing to bring their hands up to his mouth and brush their interlocked knuckles against his lips. "I'm glad I found you, too, Aang," he said happily, as hand in hand they turned and made their way back to the beach.


End file.
